SUV Review: 2003 Toyota 4Runner

By Robert Bostelaar, Canwest News Service

Originally published: August 10, 2011

Somewhere, the words are cast in steel and rubber and glass: Each time a car or truck model is redesigned, it must grow larger.

Oh sure, bring up the Mustang, Impala and other mid-1970s cars that grew smaller. Rare exceptions, we respond, brought on by the huge oil shock we called the Energy Crisis.

Pump prices being equal — or inching up — cars, like their owners, get bigger as they get older. More space. More heft. More power.

And would you like some more potato salad?

One of the latest to show the effects of all these second helpings is Toyota’s 4Runner. For 2003, it’s put on 136 kilograms (300 pounds) and gained 76 millimetres (three inches) in width, 114 mm (4.5 in.) in wheelbase and 145 mm (5.7 in.) in overall length. It’s got more horsepower, more torque, and now even an optional V-8 engine.

More aggressive styling, too, especially in the front, where a tall grille rises, transport truck-style, to a vault-like hood that hints at the power it shelters.

Seems like only yesterday the 4Runner was a wee sport-utility with four-cylinder motor and the same spare dimensions as the little pickup on which it was based.

Car companies tell us we’re to blame, because we insist on more interior room, more horses, more everything. No doubt, there’s some truth to that. And if increasing the dimensions will retain loyal customers, well, why not?

But this growth strategy also allows the expansion of another vital figure — the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. In the case of our test example, a leather-lathered 4Runner Limited, it’s reached $50,614. No wee sticker, that.

True, the previous 4Runner Limited was nearing $50,000. And the $39,100 SR5 V-6 that now serves as the “base” 4Runner is a bare $145 more than the smaller SR5 of 2002. Toyota, while no doubt hoping more buyers will pony up for the lavish V-8 editions, can credibly argue that model for model, this new 4Runner offers better value than the last generation.

The 4.7-litre i-Force V-8 could be hard to resist. Rated at 235 horsepower and a hearty 320 pound-feet of torque, it’s the same Lexus-derived powerplant found in Toyota’s Sequoia SUV and Tundra pickup, but connected here to a new five-speed automatic transmission. On city streets and in highway passing lanes, we found it smooth and very willing.

The V-6, though, is hardly a poor relation. With 4.0 litres of displacement (up from 3.4), it actually tops the bigger V-8 with 245 h.p. Torque peaks at 282 lb.-ft. at 5,200 r.p.m. Even with a four-speed automatic — the extra gear is reserved for the V-8 — there’s plenty of power for towing or just getting this 2,000-kg truck underway.

In the Toyota hierarchy, the full-framed 4Runner is meant to be more versatile than its sedan-based Highlander SUV. Ads show it powering up mountainsides.

Of course, the company knows the average 4Runner will be used primarily as a car, and accordingly placed much emphasis on improving its road behaviour. Like the upsized and refined Ford Explorer, the new 4Runner treats occupants to a remarkably quiet and controlled ride.

There’s some body lean in fast corners, but it goes where it’s pointed. And while the 4Runner retains its solid rear axle (the Explorer has an independent rear suspension), it meets choppy pavement with little skip or jostle. Big change from the bucking, pitching ride of the old 4Runner.

Interior alterations are just as dramatic. Previously tight and truck-angular, the cabin has become rounder, softer and far roomier. Front and rear, headroom and shoulder-room are increased. Front legroom is up. Rear legroom has been trimmed by a few millimetres, but not enough to notice.

The front seats are wide, with long, supportive lower cushions and backrests that mould to your lower back and shoulders. The outboard positions of the rear seat are similarly cushy, though the centre is high and too firm to be comfortable for any trip over 15 minutes. All three back seats have shoulder-belts and headrests.

Because of its live axle, however, the 4Runner cannot accommodate an Explorer-like, optional third-row seat. And with 42.2 cubic feet of cargo capacity, it trails the Explorer (46.6 cu. ft.) and even last year’s 4Runner (44.6).

A carpeted parcel shelf in our tester helped make the most of the cargo space. Access to the back was eased by the large lift gate, which has a power window that can be operated by the key fob. Folding the back seats for increased capacity was a simple matter of flipping forward the cushions and dropping the backrests with headrests in place.

The cabin’s fit and finish are up to the old model’s high standard, and the materials look and feel good. Our Limited boasted a beige-and-black colour scheme with aluminum-look accents and even some faux marble that we liked more than faux wood.

Controls, for the most part, work well. We appreciated the Lexus-style luminescent pointers on speedometer and tach, and the different background colours for various readouts — grey-green for audio, for example, and grey-orange for climate control/trip computer — that helped us take in information at a glance. Only the driver gets an auto-up-down window, but rear passengers will be pleased to discover that their windows descend all the way.

Another strong point: the crisp, clear JBL audio system, which has a multi-CD changer and cassette.

We did find a few miscues. The temperature gauge’s “H” for hot is confusingly close to the fuel gauge’s “E” for empty. None of the many cupholders could safely grip our insulated coffee mug. We wished for a “mist” function on the wipers and a light to tell us when the fog lights are on.

And we weren’t taken with the kitschy rocker switches that govern the heater/AC/ventilation system. Shaped like flower petals, or maybe iron crosses, they look like dials but are meant to be pressed, not rotated. Fortunately, leaving the climate control in “auto” worked fine.

Despite the luxury, the 4Runner still has the serious parts needed for deep snow or off-roading. V-8 models get full-time all-wheel-drive with locking Torsen centre differential, while V-6s get part-time 4WD. All have a bevy of electronic systems to control skidding and wheelspin and to help ease down slopes or start on inclines.

Brakes are sturdy, with discs at each corner aided by electronic force distribution and antilock. Brake Assist helps out in panic stops.

And to improve on the standard 9.1 inches of ground clearance, the V-8 Limited has adjustable air suspension that will raise the rear 40 mm (1.6 in.). It can also be lowered 20 mm for easier loading of passengers or cargo. In both cases, ride height returns to normal as speeds increase.

With its smoothly functioning technical systems, improved ride and roomier interior, the new 4Runner is a friendlier vehicle for occupants — no question. And for some buyers, the fact is doesn’t look so friendly from the outside may be a plus.

But we felt it could also look like more truck than most people need. The last 4Runner, though not the bantamweight of the first generation, remained trim enough to not seem out of place as personal transportation.

Ironically, even with the added bulk and power, the new V-6 consumes less fuel than its predecessor: 13.7 litres per 100 kilometres city and 10.7 km highway, compared to the 2002’s 14.4/11.4 ratings. Even the V-8, at 15.5 city/11.5 highway, doesn’t use a lot more.

But then, the new 4Runner would hardly be the first to be judged by its waistband, not its diet. Another price of middle age, we guess.